[German]Microsoft has introduced the so-called Checkpoint Cumulative Updates for Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025. In September 2024, there were probably first reports of problems, users failed with the error "Operation is not supported". Microsoft has now updated a support article that describes the procedure for successfully installing .msu updates manually on systems with this error.
The Checkpoint Cumulative Updates
I briefly mentioned it in July 2024 in the article Windows 11 23H2 is now generally available – new "Checkpoint" updates announced. Microsoft had announced the introduction of the so-called "Checkpoint Cumulative Updates" for the end of 2024 in Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025.
Microsoft hopes that this approach will result in smaller cumulative updates because the new update packages are incremental and only contain changes that have been added since the last cumulative checkpoint update. The whole thing is explained in the support article Introducing Windows 11 checkpoint cumulative updates from July 15, 2024 in the Windows 11 Health Status Dashboard.
"Operation is not supported" error in Sept. 2024
In September 2024, there seem to have been such updates for the first time and users were confronted with the error "Operation is not supported" when installing updates via .msu files. neowin.net had addressed it here.
Microsoft has published the support article "Operation is not supported" error installing a post-checkpoint update by double-clicking the .msu package dated September 9, 2024, which explains the whole thing. The boundary condition for which the error occurs:
- The latest cumulative checkpoint update (e.g. KB504308 from September 2024 or later) was installed on the system.
- In addition, a Feature on Demand (FoD) or Language Pack (LP) was installed from a local resource because there was no connection to Windows Update (WU) or Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).
If a user then attempts to install a cumulative post-checkpoint update by double-clicking the .msu update package, the installation may fail. Windows reports that the process is not supported.
Problem: No internet connection
The colleagues at neowin.net writes here that Microsoft has since updated the support article "Operation is not supported" error installing a post-checkpoint update by double-clicking the .msu package dated September 9, 2024 (but it seems, that the details are documented in the support article since Sept. 2024).
The above installation issue occurs because the FoD or LP added from a local source via the latest cumulative checkpoint update cannot be updated to the latest update without connecting to Windows Update (WU) or WSUS.
What to consider when installing .msu
To resolve this issue, all cumulative checkpoint updates and the latest update must be downloaded and reinstalled. Microsoft specifies the following procedure for installing an MSU package with the update:
- First download the cumulative checkpoint updates (.msu packages). To do this, search for the latest update (KB number) in the Microsoft Update Catalog (e.g. enter update 5043080 for the September 2024 update in the search field and then search).
- Then click on the Download button for the desired device architecture (e.g. for x64-based systems or arm64-based systems). The Download dialog box, in which all required .msu packages are listed, is displayed.
- These packages, each containing an .msu file for the latest update and .msu files for all cumulative checkpoint updates released prior to this update, are now to be downloaded to a local folder such as "C:\Packages".
This local folder must not contain any other .msu files. The DISM tool (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) must then be used to install one or more cumulative checkpoint update packages (MSU). For more information, see DISM Operating System Package (.cab or .msu) Servicing Command-Line Options.
To add a single .msu file to a Windows image, use the Add-WindowsPackage command (see Add-WindowsPackage).
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